1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a shielded connector having an electro-magnetic shield function and a water-proof function.
2. Related art
FIG. 8 shows a shielded connector which is disclosed, for instance, by Unexamined Japanese Utility Patent Application No. 127083/1988.
The shielded connector 4 comprises: a connector housing 41 of synthetic resin; a metal shield 42 formed on the inner surface of the connector housing 41; a shielded cable 46 from which sheathed wires 46 are protruded, the wires 46 being connected to press-connecting terminals 44 in the terminal receiving section 43 of the connector housing; and a crimping part 48 which is integral with the metal shield 42, being connected to the braided shield 47 of the shielded cable 46.
When the press-connecting terminals 44 connected to the sheathed wires 45 of the shielded cable 46 are engaged with the connector housing 41, noises generated by the latter 41 are magnetically shielded by the metal shield 42, and grounded through the braided shield 47 and a drain line 49 provided inside the former.
FIG. 9 shows the water-proof structure of a conventional shielded connector disclosed by Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 182071/1991. In order to prevent the entrance of water into the connector through the braided shields 50 of shielded wires 52, the shield connector has a rubber member 55 which is formed on it by molding in such a manner that it covers the shielded connector from the bases of the shielded wires 52 to the ends of braided wires 51.
However, the above-described water-proofing structure is disadvantageous in the following points: Since the braided wires 51 are covered with the rubber member 55, they are difficult to bend, and therefore the engagement and disengagement of the terminals 56 are rather troublesome. In addition, the formation of the rubber member 55 by molding takes a lot of time and labor.
In the above-described shielded connector 40 shown in FIG. 8, the shielded cable 46 is fixed to the metal shield 42 with the crimping part 48 which is integral with the metal shield 42. And no water-proofing means is provided for the junction between the shielded cable 46 and the connector housing 41, and therefore water may go into the connector through the junction.
In order to ground the noises generated by the connector housing 41; that is, in order to obtain a shielding function, the metal shield 42 is fitted in the connector housing 41. Hence, the shielded connector is relatively large in the number of components, and the manufacturing of the components and the assembling of them take a lot of time and labor.